Michael K. Stoskopf1; Eric B. May2; Richard O.
Bennett2; Robert Sigler2; Michael M. Lipsky2
Diagnosis and treatment of hemopoietic neoplasms is both difficult and uncertain in mammals. For elasmobranchs such neoplasms arc, virtually unknown. It is for this reason that the discovery of two cases of hemoblastic responses from 2 companion angel sharks (Squatina dumerili) is of great interest. Both individuals were obtained from a west coast dealer, and placed in a 10,000 liter artificial seawater tank for quarantine. One of the two individuals died shortly after placement in the quarantine tank. The second individual developed an ulcer on the ventral aspect of the sternal plate near the caudal margin. The ulcer was treated topically with triamcinolone acetonide, neomycin sulfate, and nystatin. The individual was treated systemically with 6 mg/kg gentamycin IM. No response was observed and the individual was then treated with 40 mg/kg chloramphenicol IM/daily. During this period the individual was forcefed, and given injections of amino acid supplements. The second individual died after one month in quarantine. Gross necropsy revealed ulcerative lesions on and reddening of the ventral surfaces. No other lesions were noted. Histological evaluations of submitted tissues from both individuals revealed no lesions of a severity to kill the individuals. Lesions observed were the appearance of blast cells in the epigonal organ and pericholangial zone of the liver. Individual cells appeared to be basophilic with large open faced nuclei. Cells were compatible in form to those seen in erythroblastic series. The spleen of both individuals exhibited dramatically large aggregates of mature lymphoblasts.